PETALING JAYA: Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) head coach Xisco Munoz stood by his players’ performance despite the failure to secure three points in their AFC Champions League opener at home after the 1-1 draw against Thai side Buriram United.

The Spaniard said the Southern Tigers showed high energy, dominated the match, and created a series of golden opportunities but a lack of clinical finishing proved the deciding factor.

“I’m not proud of the 1-1 draw but I’m very proud of the spirit and capability of the players who gave 100 per cent on the pitch,” he said.

“In matches at this elite level, you have to convert every chance you get. In such a prestigious competition, it is difficult to get a second chance if you fail to capitalise on the first.”

JDT suffered two misfortunes as a goal by Oscar Arribas was disallowed and prolific striker Bergson da Silva failed to convert a penalty.

Arribas had given JDT the lead in the 28th minute but Stefan Schimmer drew level for Buriram 17 minutes later.

However, the former Watford coach refused to blame Da Silva, regarding such errors as simply part of the game.

“Sometimes these things happen in football. The most important thing right now is that we are a strong team with a solid mentality, and we need to bounce back quickly and prepare for the next match,” he explained.

Munoz also expressed his displeasure with Buriram’s tendency to frequently delay play by feigning injury, which disrupted the match’s tempo.

“Tactics like these are not good for football because fans pay money to come and watch the match. Effective playing time is crucial for delivering a quality viewing experience.

“Sometimes we think a player is ‘near death’ because everyone is shocked, yet a minute or two later, he is back running on the pitch. To me, this does not reflect well on the future of football,” he said.

Both teams finished the game with 10 men after Buriram’s Kenny Dougall (58th) and JDT defender Eddy Israfilov (90th) were sent off.